Maaike Boogaard will remain with VolkerWessels Cycling Team in 2027 after signing a one-year contract extension, giving the Dutch rider another season with the squad as she continues to rebuild after a prolonged injury setback.
The 28-year-old joined VolkerWessels from AG Insurance-Soudal ahead of 2025, but a problem with the iliac artery in her leg disrupted that first season and eventually required surgery. Retaining her for another year offers continuity after a difficult period in which simply returning to regular racing became an important part of her progress.
Boogaard’s renewal was announced alongside extensions for Maud Rijnbeek and Lonneke Uneken. All three are staying for 2027, giving VolkerWessels a familiar core as the team puts together its next season.
Boogaard looks to rebuild her previous level
In the statement accompanying the contract news, Boogaard described VolkerWessels as “like a second family” and spoke about wanting to regain her earlier form while developing alongside the team. Her comments underline that the extension is about more than retaining an experienced rider on the roster.
When she signed ahead of 2025, Boogaard had already spent several years racing at WorldTour level, including spells with BTC City Ljubljana, UAE Team ADQ and AG Insurance-Soudal. The change to VolkerWessels offered a different racing environment, but her first year was instead dominated by an effort to understand why her performance was being affected.
Boogaard subsequently underwent surgery to address the iliac artery issue. ProCyclingUK reported the diagnosis in May 2025, before following her early recovery after the operation. Her return to competition in 2026 has therefore been a gradual process, rather than a straightforward return to the level she had reached before the problem emerged.
Experience and results beyond the injury
Before that interruption, Boogaard had established herself as a capable one-day racer with a useful finishing turn of speed. She won the EPZ Omloop van Borsele in 2022 and added the Grand Prix International d’Isbergues in September 2024, when she beat the opposition in a sprint finish.
Her record also includes third place at GP Oetingen in 2023 and fourth overall at the 2024 Baloise Ladies Tour. Those performances show why VolkerWessels have reason to keep faith with a rider whose recent results do not fully reflect her career to date.
She returned to racing during 2026, with appearances in events including the Baloise Ladies Tour and Tour de Pologne Women. A top-10 finish at GP Mazda Schelkens was one encouraging result, but the larger objective has been to restore consistent race fitness and find the confidence to compete as she did before surgery.
For a Women’s ProTeam operating across demanding one-day events and selected WorldTour invitations, a rider of Boogaard’s experience also has value beyond her own finishing positions. She can support younger teammates, help a team handle difficult race situations and take opportunities when a reduced group or late attack creates a chance.
VolkerWessels keep continuity for 2027
VolkerWessels have secured several renewals in October as they assemble their 2027 squad. Keeping Boogaard, Rijnbeek and Uneken together preserves different qualities within the same group: Boogaard’s race experience, Rijnbeek’s development across challenging events, and Uneken’s ability to convert races into victories.
The signing also fits alongside moves to strengthen the roster elsewhere, including the arrival of Floortje Mackaij from Movistar. The team can add reinforcements without rebuilding the entire line-up from scratch.
For Boogaard, the extra year provides a clear opportunity to judge her progress across a more settled season. After the disruption of 2025 and the work involved in returning during 2026, reaching the start of 2027 with the same team gives her a chance to concentrate on racing rather than another transition.
